Grain and bean feeder



F. R. SKIN NEH. GRAIN AND BEAN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1920.

Emma Nov. M, 1922, E.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. R. SKINNER.

GRAIN AND BEAN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED um. 26. 1920.

1,435, 34%. Patented Nov 14,, 1922 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. R. SKINNER.

GRAIN AND BEAN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-26,1920.

F. n. sKm'N'ER: GRAIIN AND BEAN FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1920.

1,4353%. Patented Nov; 14,1922;

4 shins-shin 4/ IN VTP-i' Patented Nov. 14:, 1922.

UNE-TEE S it I ere .EB N im er. r sam am eeama'ass eNQe aeaa rfiieb. s -Q GROQVEE, *o sam emrcemzoe e. AND s exan To M SSLEMeN 3v seur a GALIFORNIA- GBAILTAND BEAN FEEDER.

Application filed January 26,1920. Seria.1.1\To.-.3 54,0G7..

- To. all to how. it may concern a. citizen-Moi the UnitedtStates residing at Santa Ana, in; the. county of Orange and State of Californla, have invented newand useful Improvements \in'Gr-ain. and Bean .Feeders, of which the follow ng is a specih- .-cat1on. i

n-This-inventionrelates to an apparatus for l eedii grain beans and other farmprodgrain such as. oats, -wheat,-barley etc.; .and also for ieeding various kinds oi" beans on the. vines and in the pods to .a contiguous threshingappa-ratus; audit is a-furtl1er.-robject of the presentinventionto.so improve apparatus ofthis character as to materially reduce,not.ionlylithe waste commonly incident to the transfer of grain and beans from a rack like structure to a threshing machine, but also toeprovide a machine and in section.'

that-will. appreciably reduce the. cost of laborers employed commonly :in harvesting grain and beans. The 1I1V611t10n .l'urthes' -has.for.its object to provide. a combined tion of power; andza furtherv object. isv .to I

the vwindrows inthe field; the net being merits of the parts for'the accomplishing of the above purposes and.- an; embodiment -Of1tl16 invention isillustratedin the accompanying drawings and described and claimed herein. I

Figure 1 is a side .elevation of the improved rack showing in cross section apertion of the stacker or elevating means; the viewibeing shortened in height by breaking away the derrick for purpose of convenience Fig. 2 is a, rear end view of the improved rack and feeder parts being broken away Fig, 3 is a plan view ofthe apparatus partly broken away and shown as in arrangement with a threshing machine from which power is: derived'ito operate the mechanism of the; rack andwstacker.

Fig.1- 4 is a-perspective of the front er-idiot the-.raclr traveling bottom. and the foot of the. elevator. .01 stacker. L i Fig. iris a detail perspective OfrtllBCl'L1tCll mechanism fOI'WlJhlOWlng. out the feeding belt or bottom of theunack.

Gfis a plan view ofkt-hegwindlass device used forgunloading a wagona11d dumping the .material being 'handledginto the rack.

y Theillustrated embodiment of the inven- .t-ion, comprises. a.main vehicle frame structure having longitudinal sills 2.aat-,the front .of-which is. arranged a pair ofsteering and .draitnwheels 3" and. atithe :rear. of which is a, pain-of supportinglwheelsi 4. all .ofithe wheels being. as showniin "i Fig." 3, within. the vertical side planes of the apparatus .for

convenience J of loading. and -.unloading and access 'to the; rack which .include'supright- ;-.side'wva1lsf or-panels 5+5 supported by stanchions 6 connected .to :the lower frame :-strucrecovering the'desired productor. crop by: .the-reduction. of -thenumber oi'hands or ture. iZlhe frame. may. also be provided with over'whi'cli. is sr'ove ahaul rope. 11, one end ofyWhichLniay be connected to gthe usual not -indica ted.-at;13 on. which the beanvinesor grainrsstraw'. is pulled when gathered! from mounted; in. the body of a-wagon W' that VVhenthe 1 wagon is disposed adj acent to themack thehaul rope 11' is connected to thenet 13 andthen bythe application of power .as-to. a winchsdrumul l, which is arranged-at the front end of the vehicle,

"the loadin thenet 13 canbe readily dumped or' rolled over :into theuracki where it will lodge on. a bottom structure consisting in the preferred form, of an endless traveling slatted bottom or' flo'or '15 whichxis clearly illustrated in- Fig. 4. This floor is arranged to travel .snugly' bene'aththe bottom ed re s of the sidewalls .5 +5of the rack and" tor 'thepurpose as will be explained hereinafter. The side walls 55:-areshown as diver-g ing rearwardly from the front end which may be provided with an inclinedfloor portion 16 extending upwardly and partly overhanging the winch 14 above mentioned.

The endless traveling floor 15 is composed of transverse slats 15 of substantial proportions, and these are connected in close longitudinal position so that their longer edges stand in close juxtaposition to form a tight joint and prevent the passage of grain or beans therethrough while the belt or floor is travelin arrow, Fig. 4, to discharge the material on to an elevating belt E, Fig. 4. The front end of the endless traveling slat floor 15 is passed around a driven shaft 17 on which is a set of sprocket wheels 18 engaging respective sprocket chains 19 set in parallelism and to the links of which the severa slats 15 are transversely connected to form the endless movable floor.

The opposite or discharge end of the floor 15 passes around a shaft 20 on which is provided a set of sprocket wheels 21 for the sprocket chains 19; this shaft being disposed transversely across the rear end of the rack frame and above an apron 22 which may consist of a piece of metal arranged below the turn of the floor about the axle 20 and having its lower edge extending over the elevating or feeder belt E so that all of the grain straw and vines being handled will be directed from the endless traveling floor on to the conveying belt E.

Loosely mounted on one end of the shaft 17 is a sprocket wheel 23 meshing with a sprocket chain 24 which, in this case, is extended upwardly to a sprocket wheel 25 secured on. a countershaft 26 suitably supported on the framework or the rack and having on its outer end a larger driving gear 27. Since it may be desirable to drive the wheel 27 independently of the shaft 17, the wheel 23 is provided with a clutch device 28 operative by a lever 29, Fig. 5, that is pivotedat its upper end in a bearing 30 on the adjacent side panel 5 of the rack body, and the lower end of the lever is connected by a link 31 to a crank arm 32 of a rock shaft 33 mounted in suitable bearings 34 conveniently arranged on the sill frame 2; the shaft 33 extending longitudinally and rearwardly and having at its rear end a manually operable control lever 35 disposed convenient to the operators platform 36 which is arranged just in the. rear of the elevating belt E so that the operator without changing his station can conveniently throw the lever 35 to disconnect the clutch 28 andunlock the gear 23 from the shaft 17.

Power is transmitted to the wheel 27 as by a sprocket chain 37 extending along one side of the rack and engaging a driving sprocket pinion 38 secured on a jack shaft 39' to which power may be supplied from any suitable source as, in this case, by a flexible shaft 40 having a section with a in the direction of the.

pulley wheel 41" that is engaged and driven by a belt 42, in this case running over a driving pulley 43 on a shaft of the threshing mechanism indicated at T and into which the grain or bean vines are advanced by the elevator or stacker E. v i

The pulley wheel 41 is designed to be connected to the shaft 40 by a clutch 41* from which a line 41 is extended lover to the operators platform 36 so that the transmission of power to the jacket shaft 39 can be interrupted by disconnecting the clutch wheel 41 from the clutch 41 The endless traveling slat belt or floor 15 is supported between its end shafts 17 and 20 on idler rollers 44 arranged transversely on the frame and disposed just beneath the upper stretch of the floor so as to hold the latter in operating position just below the bottom edges of the side panels 55.

39 by a sprocket chain train including a sprocket chain 45 engaging a wheel 46 secured on the shaft 39 and extending rearwardly and upwardly to a sprocket 47 on an upper shaft 48, in this case, journaled 011 the rear upright posts 7. On this upper shaft 48 is arranged a series of sprocket chains 49. and these are transversely connected' by slats 50, Fig. 2, suitably spaced apart along the chains, and on these slats are provided tines 51 of suitable length. The sprocket chains pass down over a lower set of sprocket wheels 52 that are secured on a transverse shaft 53, this being spaced a suitable height above the rear end of the traveling floor 15 so that when the sprocket belts are driven by the shaft 48 the tines 51 sweep just above and in close juxtaposition to the upper stretch of the floor.

This apparatus is especially useful in the treatment of bean vines which are commonly thoroughly intertwined and matted when they are discharged into the rack between the side Walls and on to the traveling floor or bed. 15. The operation of the tines 51 is to successively engage the batch of intertwined vines and also grain straws if desired and separate or disentangle the same and transfer the vines and straw in a relatively free condition from each other upwardly and overthe upper shaft 48 from which the vines and straw fall freely and loosely to the traveling belt E.

The belt. E is guided over a drum at one end of the rear extension of the framework of the vehicle and passes transversely across the frame beneath side guide devices 56 in the form of angle irons with horizon tal inturned flanges overlapping the top stretch of the belt E. This belt is preferably of a continuous length and is sufiiciently long to extend not. only transversely Power is transmitted from the jack shaft across the rack inamebutalsowtoaentend oper'ates, H V

To facilitate the guiding 10f: =the-belt E about the bend-made by: the relative angular position of the elevator! frame F, with-respect -to theframe ofi 'the-srjack, the 'ends-of the t guide ironsjfifi;iaretsh own: as defiec'ted up- :npwardlyon an elevfator vframe F the lower end of which' is pivoted at 58 to brackets 59 extending rrom-thesi-de of the frameas shown in Fig; 2, andadjfaoent this pivot 59 theielevatoi"drainer; is provided with a roller :or drum 60% interposed between the inpper and: lower- :stretches 'of thei elevator bell/{E 80 as' to. fiacilitatem-he; guiding ofithe same into theelevator frame, the u pper end fo'lr' which :is provided with, a shaft 61 having 011 5 one 1 end a gearz-fiQ engaging. a complementa gea1-'-63,in "this caseg secured on the t outer 1- end of; a 'T-fieXible-shai 't fit havingzan extension:joint :65, The-lower end bf wthls shalt has a-fiexible joint 66a and-wissecured I to I the .lowenshaft 53 over WlllChihhQgSPIOCket chains 49 of the grain separatingtdevice wardly -as at 5Z adjcaeent theipivot joint 58 wherethe frame Fis connectedjto the frame of i the rack; the intermediate roller? 60-being disposed in uxtaposition" to the adjacent de- J fie 'cted iends {57 01 the? guides.

Itwill be seen-that. by pro v-idingzfon the continuation ofthe beltiit'rom' a'position at the discharge endnof 'the flexible-floor 15 aeross -the joint 43011116631011 ati the lower 1 end pf the' frame F :andithence ,npwardly on the same. that the loss 7 of grain or beans that would occur weretheelevator-or sta'elrer divided, is overcome. a

risrabove'roferred tOFlB'hB' side walls 5 5 otthe rack body diverge towa'rdthe discharge end of thefiexibleafioor l5 t-his' being for-the purpose oi": preventingthe jamming of the vines and straw, oi: the mateiial being handled, in between the side walls while the su stance-is being spropelled toward the discharge end. In other words the mass is moved toward the widened portion: and away from the narrow portion of the'chamber formedbetween theside walls and above the fiexible floor 15. 1

One of thefeatures ofthe :p'resentconibinationisthe provision of connections between the driven mechanism of the belts of the apparatus and the Windlass 14: so that the latter can be driven at the will of an operative or attendant to enable. the unloading of the straw or vines by power and this is accomplished by mounting on the shaft 26 a sprocket wheel 70 engaging a sprocket chain 71 by which power is transmitted to the shaft 72 of the windlass or winch.

Adjacent to one flange of the Windlass drum is a brake shoe 73 pivoted on the end of a crank arm 74 mounted on a rock shaft 75 having a suitable bearing 76. This rock shaft has a lever arm 77 extending trans- 'zver elywa ms (the e' a qofl t disposed .sendless'i conveyor;

drum and is adapted to ;:be;--.engage dby a t1-iction ,clutch lever arm 78v secured to onemember {Z9 ofta .trictien-iclutclndevice 80ihynwhich the wind- :lass drum lean, be temporarily SQQHYBd tOl the ;.sh a .ft 272a when itis. desi-me (lvtO drive -the; dnum itowiinditheihaulirope, a

' The lever78 1 yard 121extend ingupwardly tO f'rthe top: of

ithe derrick passing overr a; .guide pulley. 12 i and (thence downwardly. tto; convenient reach 2 of an openjativei on ormear the-- wago1 1- iwi so that whenqi he operativepullsicn the lanyard :12 the "clutch: lever 78-v is shifted gwtlie WilllCll t-drumicoupledtothe shaft; the-haul rope -11 wound on i the dnum and Ivthe', plead; dumped iirom: the net rl3t-linto therack; lllhen the rop- :ena'tive releases: tension Monet-hewlanyard 12 1. the dever '\Z8 alls-;tof anpositionv to aengagerthe rock.armi l'izqandithisjthrows the rorlrzslratt 75 to :set, the .-bralre 73nagainst1thev Windlass cl-rum. c I

W/farious changes :may bemade 'without depl aimed. a a a wWhat-dswlaimed is: t .c 5 1.:-lln'an apparatus :forreeding material to a thresher; a l aick cbox931mlGHdLlBSSLQCQl'HEQyOF arranged. or :operationzwtherein transversely' 1 arranged. endless-r o,onveyorm which parting; Home the spi-rit tof the inuentionulas' has conneetedm to: at a; sill-I1- aiiot tversely to theedisohange end Dill/he box: :for

elevating the :m'ateriahadzischaa'ge'dltfrom the,

ill 0' f ii-111g its untonthedowersiendjn fi then-transversely disposed ,elefvlating;imeans;1 ioperative; z-from: ajSllll'iELblSi :sourcevbf: power zfzor driving-the:'feedingzmeans thevmaterial [engaging 'and.id=isentangling meanss'and -the elevating means; said means including a clutch mechanism whereby the feeding means can be disconnected from the driving means while the elevating means is still op erating.

3. A feeding apparatus for advancing material to a threshing apparatus, comprising a rack box with means arranged at the lower portion thereof for advancing the material toward the discharge end of the box; said means comprising a substantially tight slat bottom in the form of an endless belt on to which the material to be threshed may be disposed and by which it will be adand mechanism I A L.

vanced to the discharge end of the rack; and means at the discharge end of the rack box for separating and disentangling the material to be threshed, and which last mentioned means comprises an upright endless carrier having transversely disposed slats and material engaging prongs projecting from said slats.

4. A feeding apparatus for advancing material to a threshing apparatus, comprising a rack box with means arranged at the lower portion thereof for advancing the material toward the discharge end of the box; said means comprising a substantially tight slat bottom in the form of an endless belt on to which the material to be threshed may be disposed and by which it will be advanced to the discharge end of the rack; an upright endless carrier arranged for operation at the discharge end of said rack box and the advanced means therein, which endless carrier includes transversely disposed bars;

elongated material engaging fingers projecting from said bars, which fingers are adaptcd to lift the material from the advancing means and disentangle said material; and an elevating mechanism arranged transversely across the end of the rack box and on to which the material is received frem the lifting and disentangling means.

5. A feeding apparatus for advancing the material to a threshing apparatus, comprising a rack box with means arranged at the lower portion thereof for advancing the material toward the discharge end of the box; said means comprising a substantially tight slat bottom in the form of an endless belt on to which the material to be threshed may be disposed and by which it will be advanced to the discharge end of the rack; an elevating mechanism arranged transversely across the end of theirack box and on to which the material being handled is advanced; said elevating mechanism including an endless belt having a portion guided in a position below the adjacent end of the feeding means and thence continued beyond the side of the rack and inclined upwardly to elevate the material to a suitable point of dicharge and means arranged above the discharge end of the advancing means in the rack box for engaging, lifting and disentangling the material and delivering it in disentangled condition unto the forward end of the transversely disposed carrying and elevating mechanism.

6. In an apparatus for feeding and elevat.

ing material to be threshed, a rack box into which the material is loaded, means, for advancing the material toward the dlscharge end of the box means, and meansoperating v continuously to engage, elevate and disentangle the material so as to discharge it in a comparatively free condition on to a conveyor which last mentioned means includes an upright endless carrier having transversely disposed slats and elongated material engaging fingers projecting from said slats.

7. An apparatus for feeding material to be threshed, comprising arack-box having means for feeding the material towards the discharge end of the box; said rack box having side walls that diverge relative to each other toward the discharge end of said box so that the material may be advanced therethrough without jamming; means arcarriers for delivering the material to the thresher; means arranged between said'endless carriers for engaging the material, lifting it from one of the endless carriers, disentangling said material and delivering it unto the other one of the endless carriers; and means for simultaneously operating said endless carriers and said material engaging, lifting and disentangling means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRAJNK It. SKINNER. 

